


Reaffirmation

by OreoLuvr13



Series: Family Ties Verse [8]
Category: Animal Kingdom (TV)
Genre: Dissociation, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Post-Episode: s4e08 Ambo, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, non-canon compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-08-20 06:53:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20223628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OreoLuvr13/pseuds/OreoLuvr13
Summary: A post-Ambo fic that takes place in my “Family Ties” verse. A shaky and bloody J ends up at Baz’ place after dealing with MIa.





	Reaffirmation

**Author's Note:**

> A big thank you to Kolbs who gave me the idea for this while leaving a lovely review for “Reckoning.”

“You and I can make a great team,” Mia says looking quickly towards the dead body of Tupi. “You’re the brains and I can do the dirty work. Put a bullet in someone’s head when needed. It doesn’t bother me, but I know it bothers you.”

J says nothing, giving Mia the opportunity to try and plead her case. “You know Smurf hired me to kill Baz. Your Dad. Well, she hired Pete but I’m the one who pulled the trigger. If he got to the hospital two minutes earlier, he would be dead and you would be an orphan along with your sister.” Mia smirks. “That poor kid. Dead mother. Then she gets sick and nearly loses her dad. Her childhood is almost as shitty as yours was.”

“Shut. Up.” J says quietly, venom laced in his voice as what Mia just said sinks in. He’s always suspected Smurf was behind Baz’ shooting. J and Baz are very similar. Not only have they had rough childhoods scarred by years of abuse and neglect, but they are also outsiders within the Cody family. Yes, J is a Cody by blood but he doesn’t ‘fit in’ with his uncles. Smurf has made it pointedly clear that J and Baz will never really be a true Cody even though they are the brains of the operation.

So J isn’t too surprised that Smurf was the one behind the hit on Baz. But that doesn’t make it any easier to hear when Mia says it.

“Families don’t do that to each other,” Mia says.

“Yeah, but they’re the only family I got,” J says as he raises the gun and fires.

**XXXXX**

The next few minutes are a blur. He knows he’s talked to Pete, but he can’t remember what he says. It’s like he’s looking from afar, like he’s not really there. He used to do it a lot when he was younger and things got bad, but J hasn’t done that in a while, not since that last time with Damien.

He’s sitting in front of Baz’ place when his head clears. Shit. He drove here. He feels the dried blood on his face. His hands shake when he brings them up to wipe away the congealed blood.

“J?” A worried Baz calls as he makes his way towards J’s car. His anxiety goes up considerably when he sees the state J is in. “ Shit, J! What the fuck happened?!”

J goes to say something but the words freeze in his throat. He can’t breathe.

_ Damien has taken his discarded belt and wrapped it around his throat. “I told you to keep your fucking mouth shut.”_

_I didn’t say anything J silently pleads. He never says anything._

_“I have Psycho Pope giving me death glares and even dumb ass Craig is acting strange around me. What did you tell them?!”_

_J tries clawing at_ _the belt with his bent, bleeding fingers to no avail. If anything breathing only gets harder. “Let’s see you run your mouth with a broken windpipe.”_

_J continues to grab for his throat to get the belt off but it only gets tighter. Between the blood dripping down his throat from his busted nose and the pressure on his throat, he’s barely taken in any air. He kicks his feet out in a failed attempt to get Damien off._

_“Told you no one gives a shit about you,” Damien hisses as he leans in close with his stank, alcohol laced breath. “After all you did. Got the kid better. Help run their jobs. And they still don’t give a shit about you. No one does. All you are good for is being a bitch. Theirs. Mine.”_

_J claws again, this time with less energy. He’s fading. His body can’t take it anymore. And Damien is right. No one is coming for him. Baz made it clear that even though he helped saved Lena’s life, he still has no part in Baz’ life. His uncles don’t give a shit about him. With him gone, everyone’s share gets a little bigger. All his life he’s been used by other people. His mom used him when she needed him to get her a fix. Smurf used him to make his uncles jealous. Baz used him for his bone marrow to get Lena better. Damien just used him for his own pleasure. They won’t miss him._

_Lena might miss him but she’s still a kid. Kids are resilient. He’s only been a part of her life for like a year. In a few years he’ll fade from her memory. She’ll survive this, just like he survived his shitty childhood._

_He stops kicking and drops his hands. He’s too tired. “That’s it,” Damien says as the pressure on J’s throat eases up a bit. The belt may be gone but the damage is done, J can hear it in his hitching breaths. He feels Damien biting on his lip. “You still taste good. Even if you are damaged goods.”_

_“Jesus Christ!”_

_“What the fuck!”_

_He feels more than sees Damien get off of him. But he doesn’t care because he still can’t breathe._

“J?! J?!”

He feels a light slap on his face. “J? You with me? Talk to me kid.”

J sees Baz staring at him. “Baz?” He asks getting his voice back.

“Yeah, kid,” Baz says as he runs a hand over J’s blood-stained cheek. “It’s me. Whose blood is this?”

“Mine?” J asks, scrunches his eyes up in confusion.

“You’re hurt?” Baz asks as he starts to run his hands over his son’s body looking for injuries.

“Damien punched me.”

“Damien?” Baz asks alarmed. “J, Damien is dead. He didn’t hurt you… Not tonight.”

“Damien’s dead?” J asks taking in the scene. He’s at Baz’ place, in his truck.

“Yeah, J. He’s been dead for a few years now. You know this. What the hell happened to you tonight?” Baz asks.

“Mia…” J starts. But he doesn’t know what else to say. Does he tell Baz or does he say nothing to his dad so he has plausible deniability. Luckily, he’s spared from saying anything else when Baz says. “Jesus.”

“She said Smurf paid her to kill you,” J says.

Baz lets out a loud sigh and grabs his arm to get him out of the car. “Okay, come on, J. Let’s get you in the house and get you cleaned up.”

“You’re not mad? Smurf put a hit on you.” J asks as he allows Baz to lead him towards the house.

Baz lets out a light laugh. “Would you believe me if I told you, I’m relieved.”

“Relieved?” J asks as he struggles to put one foot in front of the other.

“Yeah, well I’m not surprised that Smurf put a hit on me. I feel a little better knowing it was her and not someone else who wanted me dead.”

Baz leads him into the kitchen and maneuvers J into a chair. “I talked to Pope. He said that the job went bad. Mia have anything to do with that?”

J looks towards Lena’s room. She’s getting older but J still wants her to stay out of the family business family as much as possible. Baz hands him a wet washcloth. “Lena’s sleeping over Olivia’s house. Now answer me, did the job go south because of Mia?”

J shakily nods as puts his head down sheepishly. How could he had been that stupid with Mia?! Damn it. He runs the washcloth over his head as he tries to wash away the events of tonight along with his stupidity.

“Shit!” Baz curses as he slams his hands down on the counter. “Shit, J!”

J can’t help but flinch. “I know I fucked up but she’s not a problem anymore.”

Baz apologizes quietly for yelling. “Yeah but she shouldn’t have been a problem in the first place. You have to be careful, J. Smurf is looking for any weakness. She knows you and I won’t fall in line like Pope, Craig, and Deran. She’ll look for any reason to put you at odds with the others. She knows you and Pope aren’t talking right now because of Angela.”

“Angela can’t be trusted,” J says as he puts down the washcloth.

Baz nods. “I know that and Pope will too soon enough. But it looks like Mia couldn’t be trusted either. You have to be careful. Be careful who you talk to. Don’t give Smurf any ammunition. Don’t give her anything she can use to divide you guys more. So Mia won’t be a problem anymore?”

J shakes his head. “No. It’s taken care of.”

“Okay, good. I’m assuming all loose ends are tied up. You think you’re good to take a shower? You were a little shaky earlier. It was like you weren’t really here.”

“Sorry ‘bout that. I’m okay now.” J says.

Baz nods. “Okay then, get in the shower. I’ll take care of your clothes and get you a beer.”

J heads towards the bathroom. Yes, he really fucked up with Mia. But she’s no longer a problem. Damien has been dead for years and still messes with his head sometimes, but Damien was wrong about two things, One, someone does give a shit about him. And two, he’s no one’s bitch.


End file.
